A Spalding woman faces a three-day trial in April after denying two charges of breeding dogs without a licence.

Mandy Goodwin (43), of Surfleet Road, is being prosecuted by South Holland District Council.

She is accused of keeping a breeding establishment for dogs at her home address between April 4 2010 and March 16 this year – with five litters born during that period.

The second charge alleges that between July 10-21 this year she kept a breeding establishment for dogs and sold a puppy to a named man for £595.

Spalding magistrates yesterday listed the trial to start on April 17.

SING South Holland Community Choir’s first workshop in the New Year takes place on Wednesday, January 4 from 6.30pm to 8pm at St Thomas’ Chapel Schoolroom, Spalding.

The choir is a fun, relaxed group led by Liz Lenten and is open to everyone, 01406 420218.

SPALDING Business Club holds its first meeting of the year on January 12.

The meeting will be held from 7am to 8.30am at Sage Restaurant in Spalding and will be a networking event with a twist.

Meetings cost £8 per person.

If you wish to attend email Rebecca.Birkett@Chattertons.com by 5pm on January 9.

HOLBEACH United lost the big UCL Premier Division top-of-the-table clash 1-0 at King’s Lynn on Boxing Day, while Spalding United were smashed 6-0 at Peterborough Northern Star and Deeping Rangers drew 1-1 at Blackstones.

In a largely even affair played in front of a mammoth 1,040 crowd at The Walks, a scrambled goal from Stuart Wall 20 minutes from time was enough to end the Tigers’ eight-game winning streak.

John Chand’s side did have a big penalty appeal turned down in the first half when Dan Flack was upended, but the Linnets stood form to go seven points clear of Holbeach at the top.

Earlier in the day, Spalding’s first game since the sacking of Andy Stanhope couldn’t have gone much worse.

The Tulips were decimated 6-0 by Northern Star, with Dan Clements (2), Karl Gibbs (2), Addie Staffieri and Richard Jones – with a stunning volley – sending the hosts up to fourth in the table.

Meanwhile, Matt Heron’s first-half strike was enough to earn Deeping a draw at Lincoln Road. He opened the scoring for Tuncay Korkmaz’s men on ten minutes, but Adam Scotcher soon levelled.

Down in UCL Division One, Bourne Town were beaten 1-0 at Huntingdon Town.

See Thursday’s joint edition of the Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press for a full round-up and reaction from the Boxing Day fixtures.

RESULTS

UCL Premier Division: Blackstones 1 Deeping Rangers 1; Boston Town 0 Sleaford Town 1; Daventry United 0 Long Buckby 3; King’s Lynn Town 1 Holbeach United 0; Newport Pagnell Town 1 AFC Kempston Rovers 2; Peterborough Northern Star 6 Spalding United 0; Stewarts & Lloyds Corby 4 Desborough Town 1; Wellingborough Town 3 Thrapston Town 2; Yaxley 1 St Ives Town 5.

UCL Division One: Buckingham Town 1 Bugbrooke St Michaels 3; Burton Park Wanderers 5 Northampton Sileby Rangers 0; Huntingdon Town 1 Bourne Town 0; Olney Town 1 Northampton ON Chenecks 2; Raunds Town 4 Eynesbury Rovers 1; Rothwell Town 1 Rothwell Corinthians 3; Wellingborough Whitworth 3 Rushden & Higham United 0.

AN appeal to replace raffle prizes stolen from a village school has been met with incredible generosity.

Students and staff at Shepeau Stow Primary School were devastated when raffle prizes that The Friends of the School committee had spent weeks collecting were taken by thieves.

Hundreds of pounds worth of prizes, including watches, leather handbags, make-up bags, make-up, boxed scarves, silk ties and other smellies and cosmetics, were taken.

But thanks to an appeal in our sister paper the Lincolnshire Free Press, dozens of new prizes were donated, allowing the school to continue its fundraising.

Pupils have said a big thank you to everyone who supported them and gave replacement prizes.

FENLAND Flywheelers’ next meeting takes place on Wednesday, January 4.

The subject is the History of Holbeach and Long Sutton Cinemas with Maurice Brader.

Doors open at the Function Suite, United Services Club, Church Street, Holbeach at 7pm.

Admission is free, for more details contact Darren on 07941 471802.

WHEN Margaret Johnson says she has been keeping a diary for 60 years it comes as no surprise to hear that she enjoys putting pen to paper.

The Spalding grandmother also enjoys researching family history and has twinned these two passions with her latest book, The Life and Travels of Dr JAC Smith, which has just been published.

This is the second book that Margaret, of Cowbit Road, has written about the family and came out of her research for the first book, History & Photographs of a Spalding Family, which covers the Smith, Shepperson and Johnson branches of the family. Much of it was based on material left to her in a tin trunk containing several beautiful old photograph albums filled with family portraits.

However, Margaret was particularly intrigued and impressed by her late husband Mike’s great uncle, Dr Jack Arthur Creasey Smith, who was born on a farm at Deeping Fen in 1873.

Dr Jack, as he was known, graduated from Edinburgh University in 1898 with a degree in medicine and the following year left for Shanghai where he was to join the British Methodist Society as a doctor/missionary.

He remained in China until 1908, setting up one of the first hospitals in Xian, and subsequently became involved in a number of expeditions to collect flora and fauna in China and Tibet for the British Museum and the London Zoological Society.

Margaret says: “His understanding of local culture, expertise in the language and medical skills would have been sought after by any party undertaking a major expedition.

“On one expedition, Jack discovered two new mammals which were named after him – Smith’s shrew and Smith’s zokor.”

A second expedition in 1911-1912 took him and his party 4,000 miles on foot across China to the Russian border, accompanied by mule carts to carry their equipment.

“He acted as translator and as a hunter on Harold Frank Wallace’s big-game hunting trip across the Gobi desert to search for takin, a bull-like animal, and other specimens for the London Zoological Society,” explained Margaret.

Despite all this success, Margaret says Dr Jack was never mentioned in the family, she believes because he and his wife divorced.

However, Margaret’s interest was stirred in him because she inherited mementoes from his travels, such as Chinese coins, silk fabrics and one or two pictures.

“He seems such a remarkable man,” says Margaret. “He did marvellous things, such as starting a hospital and, later on, the expeditions across China.

“Anyone interested in China and the Chinese would find the book of interest.”

Margaret’s research into Dr Jack resulted in her visiting China in her 70th year last year, accompanied by her grandson Oliver, and a record of this trip is included in the book.

The book has been published in limited numbers and is on sale for £20 at Bookmarket in The Crescent, Spalding; Birchgrove Garden Centre at Pinchbeck; Ayscoughfee Hall Museum in Spalding; and Spalding Farm Shop near Surfleet.

A FORMER teacher from Donington has died after being hit by a train.

John Bowles (59), of Heron’s Walk, was found dead on the railway line at Donington on December 21.

It’s believed that he committed suicide.

Mr Bowles’s body has been formally identified and an inquest into the death is expected to be opened tomorrow.

Mr Bowles (pictured above) had been a science teacher at the Thomas Cowley High School.

GENEROUS readers from across South Holland have made Christmas a time to remember for almost 300 people.

Little more than a month ago we asked you to dig deep and donate items for as many festive food hampers as possible for those who have been facing tough times – and you didn’t let us down.

Thanks to your generosity in a joint campaign between Spalding’s Agape Care Foodbank and the Spalding Guardian, we smashed original hopes of providing 50 special hampers to deliver a total of 102.

It meant 145 adults and 152 children were given everything they needed to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

The hundreds of donations which poured in throughout December meant every single person and family nominated by the foodbank’s partner agencies received a hamper.

Agape Care project manager Paul Walker said: “Everyone has been brilliant. They just wanted to make a difference to someone at Christmas by doing this act of kindness.

“It’s been incredible. All the volunteers have said they have enjoyed it and would love to do it again.

“It’s been an emotional journey but worthwhile.”

Throughout Thursday and Friday last week, cars and vans were loaded up ready for the foodbank’s volunteers to make their special deliveries across South Holland.

Mr Walker said some families cried with joy when their hamper was delivered, while others said the volunteers had made their Christmas.

One family had spent the run up to Christmas travelling to and from hospital in Nottingham, where their daughter had been recovering from an operation.

They said: “We had thought about presents but not food or anything else. We were just going to get something closer to the time as we had been thinking about our daughter.

“We just want to say thank you. The foodbank really are lifesavers. They have made our Christmas.”

Another South Holland family, who were nominated because they have had a difficult year, said their hamper was simply “amazing”.

“We can only say thank you for everything,” they said.

Mr Walker praised the number of donated items in what has been a tough economic climate for everyone.

“It’s down to the people of Spalding and South Holland who have embraced this campaign to help out people in their community,” he said.

“We want to thank the businesses who have come forward to help without wanting any publicity and to Sainsbury’s in Spalding.

“We also want to thank the staff at the Spalding Guardian for their work behind the scenes.”

Agape Care Foodbank will now continue its usual service, providing three-day emergency food parcels to those in need.

Donations should be taken to the Lighthouse Church in Haverfield Road, Spalding.

TWO men arrested after a “violent” exchange in Spalding have each been ordered to pay £275.

Egidijus Kazlauskas (28), of High Street, was left needing hospital treatment for a cut forehead, and Hubert Wester (31), of Saltern Drive, broke his ankle in the fight on December 3.

Last Thursday, both pleaded guilty to public order offences at Spalding Magistrates’ Court.

Rebecca Ritson, prosecuting, said officers reported seeing the pair being forcefully ejected from Loaded nightclub in Westlode Street before the fight.

She said the pair appeared to accept the rejection and they started walking towards Albion Street with a group of people.

“Later the officer’s attention was directed back at the group of eight to ten people when one in the group said ‘Oh my God they’re fighting’,” said Miss Ritson.

She said the two men were “grappling” on the ground, exchanging punches which “appeared to be violent”.

Miss Ritson said the officer used his baton to separate them.

In interview, she said Kazlauskas admitted to having had seven pints of strong lager, while Wester said he could not remember anything until he was arrested.

Speaking to magistrates through a Polish interpreter, Wester said: “I am sorry.”

Kazlauskas also apologised to the court, adding: “It will not happen again.”

They were each fined £175 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

KING’S LYNN TOWN 1 (Wall 70) HOLBEACH UNITED 0: ANGRY John Chand hit out at referee Pete Goodacre after seeing Holbeach’s eight-game winning streak hit a Wall at The Walks on Boxing Day.

The Tigers boss, who called for a strong official in the build-up to the top-of-the-table UCL Premier Division clash, was fuming at the decision to allow Stuart Wall’s late winner to stand.

Chand was also adamant that Dan Flack was denied a “stone-wall” penalty in the first half and felt Ashley Stevens could have earned a spot-kick after the break. Seeing all the key decisions on YouTube after the game only fuelled Chand’s fire, too.

But the Holbeach supremo was more gracious in his praise for league leaders King’s Lynn – even though he reckons a draw would have been the right result.

“The referee got all of the critical decisions wrong and I told him as much,” barked Chand, whose side are now eight points behind Lynn in second. “Jamie Stevens was pushed over before they scored and we’ve had two strong penalty shouts. The one on Flacky is a stone-waller.

“Having seen the incidents again on YouTube, it’s clear for everyone to see.

“Overall, a draw would have been the right result. It was a good game played in front of a great crowd at a good club, it’s just a shame Mr Goodacre wasn’t up to standard.

“It’s no disgrace to lose to Lynn, I’m just frustrated, as are the players.”

With a hefty crowd of 1,040 – the biggest in the UCL Premier Division this season – packed into The Walks on Monday, the stage was set for a Christmas cracker.

But the first-half was a cagey affair, with the Flack penalty incident the main flashpoint. The Holbeach midfielder appeared to be scythed down by Jamie Thurlbourne, but a corner was given.

The Linnets’ Robbie Harris had the best chance of the half, but flicked over just before the interval.

Andrew Tidswell had a goal chalked off for offside ten minutes into the second period, while Ashley Stevens was wrestled to the ground inside the penalty box – but the visitors’ appeal again fell on death ears.

Holbeach keeper Leigh Overton pulled off an incredible stop to keep out a Thurlbourne free kick at the other end, before Lynn broke the deadlock 20 minutes from time.

That man Thurlbourne delivered a corner for Wall to head home from close range, but the Tigers felt Jamie Stevens was flattened seconds before the goal.

After that, Lynn could have stretched their lead through Steve Spriggs or Liam Harrold – but the Tigers certainly impressed in defeat.

Lynn boss Gary Setchell said: “Holbeach are a very good side and I expect them to finish in the top-four this season.

“There was very little between the two teams but I always felt we could nick the game from a set piece because of our extra height.”

Lynn: Street, Fryatt, Yong, Buhlemann, Wall, Hughes, Spriggs, L Thurlbourne (White), Harrold, Harris (Beaumont), J Thurlbourne (Coe).

Tigers: Overton, Allen, Jackson, Kennedy, B Brown (Keeble), J Stevens, Flack, Goodhand, Tidswell, A Stevens (N Brown), Griffiths (Brooks).

• Saturday: Tigers v Long Buckby (3pm); Monday: Tigers v St Ives (3pm).

PLANS for a 130 homes extension to Spalding’s Wygate Park South will provide “modest” houses that people can afford and create jobs when the builders move in.

Taylor Wimpey East Midlands Ltd has been given consent to build the two and two-and-a-half storey homes by South Holland District Council’s planning committee.

Spalding and District Civic Society criticised the planning application, saying it was “another aimless and meandering estate without distinction or identity” and an “assemblage of standard units with no attempt to create a sense of ‘place’ through layout, grouping and landscaping”.

But planning chairman Coun Roger Gambba Jones said: “We are not living in the leafy suberbs of Cheam. We cut our cloth accordingly.”

Councillors heard the development will include affordable homes and ‘modest’ houses that people in this area can easily buy.

Coun Rodney Grocock said other councils would give their eye teeth to see a developer building affordable and modest houses in their districts.

He said: “I am all for this development. It will bring prosperity to South Holland, it will give much needed houses in South Holland, it will give much needed work in South Holland.”

Coun Christine Lawton was fed up with homes being described as soulless or without distinction.

She said: “These are pleasant homes that people enjoy living in.”

The plans were passed unanimously but Coun Gambba-Jones sounded a note of caution about developers creating parking courts that were sited away from the homes because no one feels a sense of ownership and they can become untidy with rubbish dumped.

Coun Chris Brewis said: “I also share your concern about these unowned parking areas that become attractive for the small number of less law abiding citizens in our midst.”

Twenty six of the new homes will be affordable, including ten two-bedroom flats, 13 two-bedroom houses and three three-bedroom houses.

Overall there are 15 designs with two, three and four-bedroom homes. There are 12 two-bedroom flats, 13 two-bedroom houses, 57 three-bedroom houses and 48 four-bedroom houses.

POLICE are appealing to the public for help in finding a wanted man.

Greig Parkin (32) (pictured above) was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent by Spalding CID on December 13.

He was given bail by Grantham Magistrates Court on December 14, with conditions to reside at a bail hostel in Derbyshire.

He has since absconded from the hostel and is wanted by the police.

Parkin is believed to be in the Spalding area.

Police are warning that he should be regarded as potentially violent and are appealing for anyone who has seen him or knows where he may be living to contact them.

If anyone sees him, they should not approach him but call Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 369 of December 23.

BLACKSTONES 1 (Scotcher 27) DEEPING RANGERS 1 (Heron 10): RANGERS were left to rue a costly Chris Logan error as Stones stole a Boxing Day point.

Matt Heron fired Tuncay Korkmaz’s side into a deserved tenth-minute lead at Lincoln Road, as Deeping threatened to run riot in the traditional festive UCL Premier Division clash.

But Logan’s sloppy backpass allowed Adam Scotcher in to level soon after – and that’s how it stayed.

Deeping player/boss Korkmaz said: “We’re disappointed. We dominated the possession and created the chances but didn’t win.”

It was all one-way traffic early on, with Kev Gilbert and Heron both going close to breaking the deadlock.

Deeping finally broke through when a splendid Josh Moreman pass picked out Heron, who notched his 15th of the season.

The only Blackstones attack of the half saw Scotcher level, but Rangers were instantly back on the attack with Moreman denied by Lee Crockett and Adam Weston hitting the bar.

After the break it was a pretty scrappy affair, with five players booked.

Neither side managed to fashion any clear-cut chances, leaving Deeping downbeat with just a point against a Stones side currently flying high in the top six.

Rangers: Doughty, Evans, Jackson, Logan, Tinkler, Weston, Jones, Burton-Jones, Gilbert (Ginty), Heron, Moreman. Not used: Julian, Simpson, Brader.

• Tomorrow: Deeping v St Ives (7.45pm); Tuesday: Deeping v S & L Corby (7.45pm).

FIRE crews were called to Long Sutton on Boxing Day after a fire broke out in a flat.

The blaze in Market Street started at about 2.50pm but was out by the time firefighters from Holbeach, Long Sutton and Wisbech arrived .

There was severe fire damage to a microwave and smoke damage to the kitchen and living room.

The fire was caused by cooking left unattended.

Fire and rescue inspected the flat

THE Environment Agency has completed works near Boston to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 500 properties

Work on the South Forty Foot Drain cost £80,000 and has taken 11 weeks.

It included repairing the eroded toe of the river bank at a number of locations between Bicker Fen and Boston.

Coir rolls have been used. In spring, these will be planted with reeds which will grow and increase available habitat along the water’s edge.

In places, the vertical angle of the bank has also been reduced to make it safer for maintenance and for members of the public who use a footpath that runs along the top of the bank.

In addition to the erosion repair works, cattle-drinkers – stone slopes leading to a stone platform within the river at the edge of the water – have also been installed. These will help to prevent further damage being caused by the animals as they walk down the bank to drink.

To find out more visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodanglian

POLICE are warning home owners and business people to lock heating and diesel oil tanks as sky-high fuel prices are making them red-hot targets for thieves.

Crooks are hitting on farms, transport depots and homes to use the oil for their own properties or to sell on at big profits.

Commercial tanks contain oil worth many thousands of pounds but home owners can also be seriously out of pocket if their tank is raided.

Police have come up with a host of security tips to help people beat the thieves – including fitting good locks, ‘defensive’ prickly planting and installing a metal enclosure, called ‘Tank Guard’.

A police spokesman said: “A good thief will come equipped with a limited range of tools to attack your tank so it’s worth spending a little more on good quality locks.

“Close shackle padlocks are the best as they offer the most resistance to the most popular of burglar tools – the bolt cropper.

“Close shackle padlocks have very little of the metal hoop exposed and bolt croppers cannot get a good grip.”

Prickly planting creates a big hazard for theives because they could leave something behind that leads police straight to their door.

The spokesman said: “The smallest trace of blood or shred of ripped clothing could help police identify the offender.

“A product called Tank Guard has just become available which surrounds the existing storage tank with a metal enclosure.

“This sheet metal enclosure has lockable access doors to allow filling and maintenance and has internal anchorage points to fix it to the concrete base.

“A Tank Guard costs less than one tank full of oil and lasts many years.”

Other security measures could include CCTV, lights, remote gauges that sound when the oil level suddenly drops and carefully siting the tank so it is in full view of a window rather than tucked away behind a garage.

Police also say switches that control the flow of the oil should be turned off and the electricity supply isolated when the tank is not in use.

PETERBOROUGH NS 6 (Staffieri pen 26, Clements 45 & 75, Gibbs 76 & 90, Jones 89) SPALDING UNITED 0: LIFE after Andy Stanhope began in the worst possible fashion for the Tulips as Star smashed them for six.

In a brutal Boxing Day beating, Dan Clements and Karl Gibbs both bagged doubles, while ex-Holbeach striker Addie Staffieri also notched a penalty and defender Richard Jones fired home a superb volley.

Spalding, who came into the game on a four-game unbeaten run, didn’t respond positively to Stanhope’s sacking and consequently slip to 11th in the UCL Premier Division standings.

For hosts Peterborough, the win ended a run of five successive league losses.

Player/coach Danny Hussey pulled no punches in his assessment of the performance.

He said: “We were unlucky to go in 2-0 down at the break, but once the third goal went in the heads dropped.

“There was no spirit or determination from most of the team, which is something we can’t accept.

“It’s clear that a few changes need to be made, but obviously a decision will need to be taken on who is in permanent charge of the team first.”

Tulips: Conroy, Duncliffe, Earls, Fuff, Ashton, Allen (Ford 46), Farden, Thompson, O’Loughlin (Lyon 67), Smith, Mowbray. Not used: Hussey.

• Saturday: Daventry Utd v Tulips (3pm); Tuesday: Sleaford v Tulips (7.45pm).

COUNCIL bosses say fostering in Lincolnshire is “healthy”, despite a charity claiming 500 extra carers will be needed across the East Midlands in the next 12 months.

The Fostering Network have warned about the scale of the challenge for fostering services in the region as they struggle to provide the right foster homes for all the children who need them.

However, John Harris, fostering manager at Lincolnshire County Council, says the county is bucking the trend for the number of children going into care compared to national statistics.

He said: “We have always been able to recruit foster carers. Last year we had 48 new carers and that more than compensates for the carers we have lost due to retirement or taking on children on an adoptive basis.

“One thing we do struggle with in the south of the county, around Spalding and Bourne, is we would like to see more carers come forward.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is to place children as near to their own communities as possible and that’s one area we find difficult at times, especially with brothers and sisters.

“Carers also find teenagers more difficult and challenging to care for.”

Mr Harris said most fostering requests are absorbed by the local authority, rather than going to outside agencies.

The Fostering Network says that since 2008 the number of children living with foster families in England has risen by 16 per cent, and is continuing to rise.

It also claims about 14 per cent of the workforce retire or leave every year.

In Lincolnshire, there are currently 490 children in care, with 400 of those with foster carers.

Mr Harris added: “It’s a very healthy picture but we wouldn’t like to be complacent, we would always like to be healthier.”

Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer in Lincolnshire can request an information pack from the county council by calling 0800 0933099.

Alternatively, information can be downloaded by visiting www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/ fostering.

A BURGLAR who carried out a sneak-in raid on a Spalding restaurant was jailed for two years on Friday at Lincoln Crown Court.

Lewis East went behind the counter at the Crystal Inn on Churchgate and grabbed £20 and £10 notes from the till before fleeing.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said the restaurant manager had been called away to answer the telephone at the time.

She rushed downstairs on hearing the till ring and was in time to see East running out.

Mr Scott said: “She gave chase but she lost him. Police were called and he was arrested nearby.”

East had no money on him but confessed to the theft and told officers where he had hidden the cash.

East (21), of no fixed address, admitted burglary on November 18.

He also admitted burgling a house in High Street, Spalding, on August 28 and the theft of £1,300 worth of golf clubs from a parked car on August 18. He asked for 25 further offences to be taken into consideration.

Neil Sands, defending, said: “The root of his offending is his lack of accommodation and his drug use.”

He said that since being remanded into custody East has had a reconciliation with his mother and there was some hope for him in the future.